Date Posted:09:28 Author: Anonymous - 15Aug01 Subject: Ham-sa or So-ham???
Why did Yogananda change this popular meditation technique around? He teaches that you mentally chant Ham (Hong) on the in breath, and Sa (Sau) on the outgoing breath. Yet all the other teachers I've seen who teach this technique teach that you chant So on the in breath, and Ham on the out. Completely the other way around.
Not only that, but Yogananda teaches breathing through the mouth, whereas the others teach through the nose. It seems Yogananda did the same thing with Kriya. I've read Sri Yukteswar, Lahiri Mahasaya, and all his disciples taught Kriya by breathing through the nose. But Yogananda teaches it through the mouth. Why did he change it? And how does it affect the results? I imagine there have to be differences in results, since all the Kriya masters always stress that the kriyas have to be performed perfectly, without any deviation from the technique, in order to work correctly. It seems Yogananda didn't just deviate the technique, he changed it completly.
